The Seduction of Jonathan D Bristow
by Delordra
Summary: JLI. The courtship of Jack and Laura. Complete.
1. Default Chapter

The Seduction of Jonathan D. Bristow  
  
Part 1: Initial Approach  
  
From [I]The Official KGB Guidelines for the Seduction of An Enemy Agent[/I], Section 1: Establishment of Cover and Initial Introduction to Target  
  
[I]Before seeking the target, the agent should take time to familiarize herself with her new environment. Depending on the intended length of the mission, this phase may last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. During this time, the agent should make friends and, if possible, engage in short-term romantic relationships in order to learn about normal behavior for such encounters.  
  
When the time is deemed right to approach the target, the agent should first observe the target for several days. Learn his habits and determine the optimal time for the first approach. The introduction should be carefully planned out in advance: when, where, and how. The agent should confirm the plan with her handler before proceeding. [/I]  
  
Irina Derevko tried not to stare as she walked through the aisles of the grocery store. She had been in America for less than twenty-four hours, and couldn't believe the differences between this country and her homeland. The sheer amount of food alone would have been amazing, but the variety, and the fact that anyone who had the money could buy as much as they wanted, simply left her breathless.  
  
She consulted the shopping list that her handler had made out for her. She found it difficult to believe that she was supposed to buy all of this food just for herself. And she was supposed to come back to the grocery every week!  
  
As she shopped, she thought about this first phase of her assignment. She knew nothing about her target yet, not even his name-only that he was a CIA agent pursuing a graduate degree at Yale. She was to spend six weeks establishing herself as Laura Jameson, a junior English literature major who had just transferred to Yale from Bryn Mawr. During that time, she would learn to fit in with American culture, make friends, and hopefully go on "dates" with a variety of men.  
  
She was down to the last item on her list: ice cream. Ice cream! She had asked her handler whether it was appropriate for her to be buying such luxuries when so many in Russia were starving; he had scolded her, saying that Laura Jameson would never think of such a thing. "Once you are placed, Irina, everything you do, even in the privacy of your apartment, must be something that Laura would do," he had said. Now she stared at the ice cream case, then consulted her list again. It just said "ice cream"; she hadn't known there would be so many flavors. She had eaten ice cream once, at Christmas when she was nine. It had been creamy, cold, and delicious. It had also been white; according to the pictures on the boxes, most of these ice cream flavors were not white.  
  
Finally, she spotted a picture of white ice cream. Vanilla, the label said. She opened the glass door as a young man walked up and opened the adjacent glass door. Their hands touched the carton of ice cream at the same time. Laura looked up in surprise, into the brown eyes of one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, remembering to keep the slight Russian accent out of her voice.  
  
The man laughed. "Go ahead, you were here first," he said. She smiled and took the ice cream; he stuck his head in the freezer and moments later came up triumphantly with another carton of vanilla ice cream. "See? Plenty to go around." He noticed her cart as she put the ice cream in. "Wow, that's a lot of stuff. You have a big family or something?"  
  
"Oh, no," she answered. "I live alone. I just moved here from Pennsylvania today, and I don't have any food at all yet."  
  
He nodded. "So, um, since you just moved here, you probably don't know too many people, right?"  
  
"I don't know anyone at all, actually." Should she introduce herself? Well, Laura would want to make friends, too. "I guess that makes you the first," she said with a bright smile. "I'm Laura Jameson." She held out her hand.  
  
"Jack Bristow," the young man answered, taking her hand and giving it a hearty shake. "Hey, if you're not doing anything tomorrow night, maybe I could show you around. We could catch a movie, maybe?"  
  
"I'd like that." Irina did like that. She liked Jack Bristow, too. She could only hope that her target would be equally likeable. They exchanged phone numbers and parted, and Irina left the store happily, glad to be able to tell her handler that she had made her first American contact ahead of schedule.  
  
1/5 


	2. Part 2

Part 2: First Date  
  
Irina sat down on the park bench, opened a book, and waited for her handler. Until she was settled in, their meetings would occur daily. She read for about fifteen minutes before Agent Khasinau approached and sat down on the other end of the bench. He took out a small paper bag and began feeding the birds as he said, "Any problems?"  
  
"Not at all," she answered without looking up from her book. "In fact, I have a date tonight."  
  
"Excellent work. What is his name?"  
  
"Jack Bristow."  
  
Because she was studiously avoiding looking at him, she missed the look of shock that crossed Khasinau's face. She did, however, hear him mutter a rather potent swear word in Russian.  
  
Irina frowned. "Something wrong?"  
  
Khasinau didn't answer for a moment. Then he said, "Not wrong, exactly. It seems we are just ahead of schedule. Jonathan Donahue Bristow, also known as Jack Bristow, is your target."  
  
Irina barely managed to keep from dropping her book.  
  
***  
  
From [I]The Official KGB Guidelines for the Seduction of An Enemy Agent[/I], Section 2: Developing a Relationship  
  
[I]During the first date, let the target take the initiative. Do not take control or overtly encourage affectionate gestures. Allow him to direct the date; admire his choices of movie, restaurant, etc. If at all possible, avoid political discussion. If he brings the subject up, agree with his viewpoint and change the subject. Do not, under any circumstances, disagree with him about anything. Allow him to choose a time for the next date. On the first date, if the target initiates a kiss at the end of the evening, break it off after only a short brushing of the lips. [/I]  
  
Jack rang the doorbell nervously. What had he been thinking, asking this woman out? As gorgeous as she was, she could have any guy she wanted. He was surprised she didn't already have a boyfriend hiding somewhere. He had called up Arvin last night, frantic, sure that she was just using him to get introduced and would drop him like a hot potato as soon as she'd met some of the men that were more in her league. Arvin had convinced him to keep the date. "After all," he had said, "even if she does 'drop you like a hot potato', as you so eloquently put it, you'll still have had a date with her." And so here he was, having second thoughts again.  
  
Laura opened the door and smiled that gorgeous smile at him. "Hi," she said.  
  
"Hi," he replied, looking at her appreciatively. He had told her to dress casually, and she was wearing slacks and a light sweater, along with just a little makeup. He hadn't thought it possible, but she was even more stunning tonight than she had the day before. Now that neither one of them was bending over to get ice cream, he also realized how tall she was, only a couple of inches shorter than he was. He'd never dated anyone so tall; not that he'd dated that much, but every girl he'd ever gone out with had been short enough that he could put his chin on top of her head.  
  
He suddenly realized that they'd been standing there staring at each other for a good thirty seconds. [I]She must think I'm an idiot[/I], he thought. "Uh, my car's just outside." She smiled and locked her apartment door, then followed him to the car.  
  
He didn't know what to say to her, so he decided to get the standard college name, rank, and serial number. "So what year are you in school?" Then he mentally kicked himself as he realized that he didn't know for sure that she [I]was[/I] a student.  
  
Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice. "I'll be a junior. How about you?"  
  
"First year of my doctorate. I'm going for a Ph.D. in game theory. What's your major?"  
  
"English literature."  
  
He gave what he hoped was an encouraging nod. "Did you transfer here?"  
  
"Yes, from Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania."  
  
He wracked his brain and came up with a tidbit. "That's an all-women school, isn't it?"  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
Well, that explained why she didn't have a boyfriend, he thought. He parked the car at the movie theater. "Have you seen [I]Love Story[/I] yet? It's either that or [I]Patton[/I]," he said with a smile. He was sure he'd hate [I]Love Story[/I], but that was all right, he was perfectly happy to watch Laura rather than the movie.  
  
She looked at him with a Mona Lisa smile on your face. "Do you really want to watch [I]Love Story[/I]? Because frankly, it sounds a little too fluffy for my tastes. I'd rather see [I]Patton[/I]."  
  
She'd rather watch the war movie than the romance? A fleeting thought passed through his mind: [I]I'm going to marry this girl.[/I] Then rational thought reasserted himself. [I]Hot potato, remember?[/I] "You'd really rather see [I]Patton[/I]?"  
  
She grinned. "What, you think just because I'm female that I'd rather watch some sappy love story than a well-characterized drama?"  
  
He had to laugh at that. "Well, most girls would." She just raised her eyebrows. "All right, [I]Patton[/I] it is."  
  
Jack was glad to see that the theater was mostly empty. When the movie came on, Laura watched it raptly. Jack watched, too, but a good portion of his mind was on the girl beside him. [I]You will not do the "yawn and put your arm around her shoulders" thing[/I], he told himself sternly, over and over.  
  
About half an hour into the movie, during a battle scene, she leaned toward him and said, "I know what you're thinking. Go ahead and do the yawn thing."  
  
He did, and she leaned her head into his shoulder. He could have stayed like that all night; he was quite disappointed when the movie ended two and a half hours later. As they left the theater, he tried to think of a way to extend the date. He definitely wasn't ready to take her home just yet. "Do you want to go out for ice cream?" he asked.  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
On the way to the ice cream parlor, they discussed the movie, and Jack was definitely glad he'd paid enough attention to the movie to be able to hold up his end of the conversation. They paused their conversation long enough to order; Jack bought a banana split for himself and a hot fudge sundae for Laura, and they made their way to a booth. Jack couldn't help watching as Laura ate her first spoonful, and was surprised when her eyes widened in what he could only describe as shock. Then she closed her eyes, obviously savoring the flavor as she pulled the spoon out. "Mmm," she said.  
  
"Don't they have hot fudge sundaes in Pennsylvania?" he said teasingly.  
  
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Of course. I just haven't had one in a long time."  
  
The conversation turned back to the movie and soon developed into a lively debate about imperialism, with Laura saying that imperialism was sometimes necessary for the good of other countries, while Jack said that America should be staying out of the way and letting other cultures handle things their way. They were on the verge of shouting at each other when Jack put down his spoon and stared at her. "You're playing devil's advocate, aren't you? You feel the same way I do."  
  
Laura laughed. "What can I say? I love a good argument."  
  
He smiled at her, thinking that she was by far the most amazing woman he had ever met. Most of the women he knew either didn't have a brain or were afraid to use it, but Laura obviously fit into neither of those categories.  
  
As they sat there smiling at each other, Jack suddenly realized that it was awfully quiet. He looked around to see that the ice cream parlor was practically empty. Looking at his watch, he realized that it was almost midnight. "Oh, sh*t," he said. "I've got a nine o'clock class tomorrow."  
  
Laura looked at her own watch and grinned sheepishly. "Me too. We'd probably better get going; we wouldn't want to be falling asleep on our first day."  
  
He drove her home, parked, and walked her to her door, where he hesitated. [I]Go for it, Bristow, it might be your last chance,[/I] he thought. He leaned forward and kissed her, meaning to just give her a peck, but she held his lips and deepened the kiss.  
  
They broke apart and stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. Then Laura said, "Are you doing anything Friday night?"  
  
"No," he said, too quickly. "Well, um, actually, my friend Arvin is having a party.would you like to come with me?"  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
"Great! I'll pick you up at eight?"  
  
"That sounds fine." They paused. "Well, goodnight."  
  
"Goodnight." He watched as she let herself into her apartment, then walked out to his car, grinning like a fool.  
  
2/5 


	3. Part 3

AN: This version is rated PG-13, but if you are 18 or over and would like to read the NC-17 version, you can find it at http://sd-1.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=24743.  
  
Part 3: Further Developments  
  
Jack let himself into his apartment and threw his suitcase on the bed with a sigh of relief. It was ten o'clock on Saturday night; he had just come back from a CIA mission in Sarajevo that had consumed his entire Thanksgiving break, and he was exhausted. But there was something he wanted more than sleep. He picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Jack felt immensely better at just hearing her voice. "Hi, Laura," he said. They'd been dating for almost three months, and managed to meet almost every day; it had currently been nine days since he'd seen her, and he missed her terribly."  
  
"Jack! How was your Thanksgiving?"  
  
He'd told her that he'd gone to his parents' house in Maryland for Thanksgiving; she thought he had a part-time job working for the State Department, which was of course shut down for the holiday. "It was okay," he said. "Standard family bickering. How about you?"  
  
She'd told him that she was staying at the college for the holiday, as she had no family to visit-her parents, both only children, had died in a house fire during her freshman year of college. "Mostly boring. I did manage to give myself a lovely black eye when I spilled soup all over the floor and then slipped in it."  
  
"Oh, no! Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine. I'll just have to wear sunglasses in public for a few days."  
  
"I bet even with a black eye you're still the most gorgeous woman on campus."  
  
"Oh, Jack, stop it."  
  
He smiled. Laura never seemed to believe him when he told her she was beautiful; he didn't understand it. "I missed you. Want to have lunch with me tomorrow?"  
  
"I'd love to, but I'm coming down with a cold that looks like it's going to be a bad one. I wouldn't want to give it to you."  
  
Jack would much rather get sick than go another day without seeing her. "If you're not feeling well, then I'll come over tomorrow and take care of you. Chicken soup and hot tea and me attending to your every whim...you can't turn that down, can you?"  
  
"What if you get sick?"  
  
"If I do, it'll be around the time you're getting better, so you can take care of me."  
  
He heard her sigh over the phone line. "All right. I do want to see you. But I am not responsible if you get sick!"  
  
"Of course not. Call me if you need anything, anything at all, okay, Laura?"  
  
"Okay, Jack. See you tomorrow. Bye."  
  
"Bye." Jack hung up and stared at the phone for a moment. He wanted to be with her right now so much that it hurt. He'd finally admitted to himself that he was in love with her a month after they'd started dating, although he'd actually been in love with her since that very first night. He hadn't told her he loved her, though, and he wasn't sure how she felt. She obviously enjoyed his company, but he didn't know how much more there was to it. Physically, they kissed and hugged often; also, since he was left-handed and she was right-handed, they'd developed the habit of holding hands under the table while they ate. He felt that he was ready to take their relationship to the next level, but didn't know if she was. All he really knew was that he didn't want to go another day without her.  
  
***  
  
Irina hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment. She didn't miss Jack, she told herself. He was her target, nothing more, and she knew she should have been glad to get a break from him for a week. But over the past three months she'd found herself growing very comfortable in his presence. She'd expected to hate her target; in fact, she'd planned to fail the mission, purposely breaking every rule in the KGB handbook. She didn't have the right personality for this kind of mission: she was too outspoken, too opinionated. If the mission went well, it was supposed to last for at least a year, maybe even two; there was no way she could stand to play an empty-headed American girl for that long. So she'd been herself on that first date...and Jack Bristow had liked it. And, far from finding him repulsive as she had expected, she had liked him.  
  
Three months later, although she had been looking for things to hate, traits to remind her that he was an American capitalist pig, she hadn't been able to do it. She could talk to him for hours, and frequently forgot that he was supposed to be the enemy. And now, when both of them had just returned from missions for their governments that neither could tell the other about, she missed him. The KGB had sent her to Boston to steal some documents; she'd encountered a security guard who'd gotten in a good punch to her left eye before she'd knocked him out. She wondered how Jack's mission had gone; the bugs she'd placed in his car and apartment had informed the KGB that he had been sent to Sarajevo, but they didn't know anything about the purpose of the mission.  
  
She yawned. She'd been waiting for his call before she went to bed; she was exhausted. She took off her bathrobe, curled up under the blankets, and was soon asleep.  
  
***  
  
The doorbell rang about 12:15, and Irina pried herself off the couch to go answer it. That had better be Jack, because she wasn't in the mood to see anyone else. She'd managed to get up and dressed, but that was it; her cold had definitely gotten worse and she was decidedly miserable.  
  
She opened the door to reveal Jack, carrying a bouquet of flowers and a paper grocery bag. He smiled. "Laura, you're right, that black eye of yours is fantastic." He came in and handed her the flowers.  
  
"What are these for?" she asked, her voice sounding strange because of her stuffed-up nose.  
  
"Because I missed you," he answered as he put the shopping bag down and reached out to kiss her.  
  
"Oh, no," she said, pulling away. "I'm sick, remember? Trust me, you don't want this cold."  
  
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to share?" he said with a grin before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her anyway.   
  
Since resistance was now pointless, she gave up and kissed him back. Warmth spread through her body, finally banishing the chill she'd had all day. With their lips still entwined, she managed to drop the flowers on the table by the shopping bag so that she could put her arms around him. Too soon, though, she was forced to break away so she could breathe through her mouth. "I missed you so much," she whispered.  
  
"I missed you, too. When I go home for Christmas I think I might have to take you with me," he said with a grin.  
  
Her heart started beating just a bit faster. Did he really want to take her home to meet his family? She pushed the thought away. "What's in the bag?"  
  
He picked up the bag in one arm, put the other around her waist, and led her to the kitchen. Once there, he started unloading boxes of Jello, cans of chicken noodle soup, and a six-pack of 7-UP. "See, I said I'd take care of you," he said. "This is what my mom always used to fix me when I was sick. Plus toast, but I figured you probably already had bread."  
  
She smiled up at him and kissed him gently. "It's very sweet of you, but you really didn't have to," she said. "It's just a cold. And I was actually thinking more along the lines of Chinese food for lunch."  
  
She almost laughed at his flabbergasted expression. "Chinese food?"  
  
"Something really spicy to unstuff my nose."  
  
"Well! If you don't want my comfort foods..." He tried to look offended, but failed miserably. A moment later, they both burst out laughing. "You..." he got out after a moment, "you just look so cute, with that black eye and red nose, and trying not to laugh at me."  
  
"And you...oh God...if you could have seen the expression on your face when I said I wanted Chinese food..." She managed to calm down. "Seriously, though, I really do appreciate you bringing me all this. But this cold is making me really hungry, and soup and Jello just aren't going to cut it."  
  
"All right, Chinese food it is. Anything to make you happy. You want your usual?" She nodded, and he headed to the phone and ordered delivery from their favorite Chinese restaurant. Then they headed to the couch.  
  
Jack sat down facing her and took her hands in his. "Laura, I want to tell you something." He paused, looking nervous, and she smiled at him. He reached up and gently caressed her cheek. "I missed you so much while I was gone. I love being with you, talking to you, touching you." He paused again and took a deep breath. "I love you, Laura."  
  
She stared at him for a moment, shocked, and then, to her own surprise, broke into a huge smile. She pulled him close and kissed him deeply, pushing him back as she did so until he was half-lying on the couch and she was straddling him. She broke the kiss and he looked up at her, surprised, but with passion in his eyes. "Jack," she said, then brushed gentle kisses over his nose and forehead. "I love you," she whispered. More kisses. "I want you." As she spoke, she told herself again and again that she was lying to him, that she didn't love him, that she was just responding in the way he expected to keep him interested.  
  
Jack twined a hand in her hair and kissed her neck right below her ear. "Laura...are you sure..."  
  
"Make love to me, Jack." She kissed him hungrily. The thought flashed through her mind that Khasinau was going to kill her. She wasn't supposed to have sex with Jack until Khasinau approved it...but there were no bugs in her apartment, which meant that he didn't have to know.  
  
All thoughts of her handler faded as Jack began to unbutton her blouse.   
  
Twenty minutes later, Jack and Irina lay entwined on her bed, sated. They both jumped when the doorbell rang. "Oh, God. The food," Jack muttered.  
  
Irina jumped up and pulled on her discarded jeans, then grabbed a sweater out of the closet and pulled it over her head. "Good, I'm famished," she said with a grin, then slipped out of the bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her.  
  
The deliveryman looked at her oddly as she paid for the food; she wasn't sure whether it was the black eye or whether he could tell what she'd just been doing. In any case, she gave a sigh of relief as she closed the door behind him.  
  
Jack emerged from the bedroom a moment later, wearing his jeans but with bare feet. As soon as she'd put the food down on the coffee table, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Love you," he whispered.  
  
"I love you too," she said, "but I'm hungry."  
  
He laughed as he picked his sweater up off the floor and put it on, then sat down on the couch and started opening the cardboard cartons as Irina went to the kitchenette and got two glasses of water. When she got back, she set down the glasses and then sat down on his lap, settling herself comfortably perpendicular to him with her back against the armrest and her legs stretched out on the couch. "Mm, I think I could get used to this," Jack said with a grin as he handed her her food and a pair of chopsticks.  
  
"Me too." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before digging in to the food. 


	4. Part 4

Part 4: Holiday Cheer  
  
Jack woke to the sun streaming in his bedroom window. He smiled. It was Saturday morning, he actually had today and tomorrow completely free from the CIA, and Laura was asleep in his arms. Life couldn't get any better.  
  
It had been six days since he and Laura had stepped up their relationship. Laura had recovered from her cold, and Jack had miraculously managed not to catch it-though not for lack of trying. They had spent the majority of the last week together, alternating between their apartments, exploring each other's bodies. Jack had never known until this past week that sex could be this incredible. They both seemed to have an intuitive understanding of what the other liked; Jack found it an almost spiritual experience.  
  
Last night had been the first time that they had literally slept together, and Jack was surprised at how well he had slept. He remembered the unpleasant experience of sharing hotel room beds with his younger brother on family vacations, but sleeping with Laura had been completely different; their bodies fit together just as well when they were asleep as when they were awake.  
  
He lay contentedly for ten minutes or so, just basking in her, enjoying the sound of her breathing, the warmth of her skin against his. Then the phone rang, waking her and jarring him out of his perfect idyll.  
  
She opened her eyes and smiled at him, and he gave her a quick kiss and reluctantly let her go in order to roll over and answer the phone. The CIA had better not want anything from him, he thought, preparing to be annoyed. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Jonathan," said a familiar female voice.  
  
"Hi, Mom." Laura smiled when she heard who it was, and he grinned back, glad that it wasn't the CIA.  
  
"We missed you at Thanksgiving dinner, Jonathan. You are coming home for Christmas, I trust?"  
  
"Of course I'm coming home for Christmas, Mom. I wouldn't miss it. I do have a request, though." Laura was making funny faces at him, and he struggled not to laugh. He'd asked her last night if she'd come home for Christmas with him, and she'd agreed readily.  
  
"And what is your request, dear?" His mother sounded amused.  
  
"Well, I have this friend, and she doesn't have any family, so I was wondering if I could bring her with me and she could have Christmas with us." He stuck his tongue out at Laura; she laughed silently.  
  
"This wouldn't be the young woman you mentioned the last time we talked, would it? What's her name?"  
  
"Her name is Laura, Mom."  
  
"Well, of course you can bring her. We can put her on the sleeper sofa in the living room. Unless you'd rather she slept in your room?" his mother said mischievously.  
  
"Mom!" Jack was rather disturbed by the notion of sleeping with Laura at his parents' house, with his whole family knowing exactly what they were doing. "I'll [I]give[/I] her my bedroom, and I'll take the couch."  
  
His mother chuckled. "All right. When can we expect you?"  
  
"December 23rd, sometime. We'll be driving down, so it will depend on what time we leave."  
  
"Well, call when you get close. I'll see you soon, Jack."  
  
"Bye, Mom." He hung up the phone and turned on Laura, pinning her to the bed and tickling her relentlessly.  
  
She shrieked with laughter. "Jack.please.stop!" she gasped.  
  
"Teach you to distract me while I'm on the phone!" he retorted, but stopped tickling her.  
  
Laura took a moment to get her breath back, then gave him a long, deep kiss, running her hands over him. "Should I be worried about going home with you? Your family doesn't bite, do they?"  
  
"Like piranhas," he answered. "But don't worry, I'll protect you." Then he went to work on her with his mouth, making sure that she was too busy to respond. He had a feeling that they wouldn't stray far from the bed today.  
  
***  
  
Jack sat at his desk at the local CIA office on December 22, counting down the minutes until he could go home. Ben Devlin appeared at his office door. "Afternoon, Jack," he said. "What have you got planned for Christmas?"  
  
"Come on in, Ben," Jack responded. "I'm going to my parents' house in Baltimore. Didn't I mention that?"  
  
"Yeah, you did. What about Laura? She going with you?" Jack nodded. "Jack, you do realize that she's going to figure out that you weren't home for Thanksgiving."  
  
Jack turned a bit red. He'd been planning on telling Laura that he worked for the CIA tonight so that she wouldn't be surprised when she learned about Thanksgiving, even though he didn't have official permission to do so yet.  
  
Ben laughed at his expression. "No worries, Jack." He tossed a folder on Jack's desk. "I pushed the background check on her through. You're cleared to tell her that you're a field agent. Consider it your Christmas present from the CIA."  
  
"Thank you, Ben, but how did you know?"  
  
Ben grinned at him. "Someone's been spotted hanging around jewelry stores," he said teasingly. "Did you buy it yet? When are you going to ask her?"  
  
"That's none of your business!"  
  
Devlin came over and patted him on the back. "Have a great and [I]engaging[/I] Christmas, Jack." He left, whistling "Let it Snow."  
  
Jack opened his desk and pulled out the small box that he had purchased just today, although he had been scouting out jewelry stores for weeks. He looked at the ring one last time. Simple but elegant. It would be perfect.  
  
***  
  
Jack parked the car at the curb outside his parents' house, noting the vehicles of his brother and sister as well. He'd known that his brother Kevin would be there, since he was a sophomore in college and still lived in the dorms, but he hadn't been sure if his older sister Lisa and her husband Steve would be there yet. He looked over at Laura and smiled. "Looks like the whole gang's here," he said. "Ready?"  
  
She smiled back, but looked a little nervous. "Ready as I'll ever be." He leaned over and gave her a kiss before getting out of the car. He'd told her last night what he really did for a living, and he thought she'd taken it quite well. She'd been surprised, of course, but rather than being angry at him for his deception, she'd seemed more worried that he would get hurt in the field.  
  
Jack opened the trunk and pulled out the two suitcases; Laura grinned impishly upon seeing their separately packed suitcases again. They hadn't officially moved in together, but they had spent almost every night together over the last few weeks. Laura had acted very unhappy about the separate sleeping arrangements at his parents' house over the holiday, and had threatened to join him on the sleeper sofa in the middle of the night; he thought she was joking, but he wasn't quite sure about that.  
  
Laura grabbed her own suitcase from his hand; he just shook his head and closed the trunk. He had known from the very first date that she didn't go in much for things like having her door opened or her bags carried; she never let him forget for a second that she was quite capable of taking care of herself, thank you very much.  
  
As they headed toward the house, the door opened and Jack saw his mother's silhouette in the doorway. She ushered them into the house, smiling and talking a mile a minute, as the rest of the family gathered around. "Jack, honey, it's so good to see you. We missed you over Thanksgiving," she said, giving him a quick hug before focusing on Laura. "And you must be Laura. Jack doesn't tell us much about what's going on in his life, but he did mention you." She shot a quick glare at Jack before continuing, "I'm Jack's mother, you can call me Jeannie, and this is Jack's father Dale. And this is Lisa-she's three years older than Jack-and her husband Steve. And our youngest, Kevin, is two years younger than Jack." Laura smiled and shook hands with everyone, and then Jeannie announced that supper was ready and just waiting for Jack and Laura. They all headed into the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
Laura was fairly quiet at dinner, mostly listening as Jack and his family engaged in the familiar Bristow banter. After dinner was over and cleaned up, as Jack had expected, it was time for games. Trivial Pursuit was brought out first. "Hmm," Jack's mother said as she shook out the six game pieces. "First time we've had too many people for everyone to play. Laura, have you played much Trivial Pursuit?"  
  
Laura shook her head. "I've never played at all, actually."  
  
"Well, why don't you team up with Jack, then?"  
  
A unison groan rose from Lisa and Kevin. "Jack doesn't need any help!" Kevin said.  
  
"If we're going to play teams, we should all get partners," Lisa said. "Mom and Dad, why don't you play together, and Kevin, Steve, and I can be the third team."  
  
Jack's mother frowned. "Well, we've never done it that way before, but I suppose that's acceptable." There were nods all around, and the game began.  
  
Jack and Laura had the third turn, and everyone else immediately realized that they were in trouble when the couple answered 9 questions in a row correctly, earning themselves two wedges, before finally missing a question. An hour later, they'd won the game, although the elder Bristows had managed to score four wedges while Lisa, Steve, and Kevin had three. As they put the game board away, Lisa said, "Next time it's all of us against you two." Everyone laughed at that.  
  
Monopoly was next; after all the property had been bought, the deal-making began. The Bristows played Monopoly very competitively, and deal negotiations tended to be rather drawn-out. Jack wasn't the least bit surprised when Laura jumped right into the fray, but he was surprised at how good her negotiating skills were. In almost no time, she'd arranged a five-way deal, excluding him and his mother and putting her in a slightly stronger position than anyone else. Not about to be outdone, Jack brokered his own four-way deal with his mother, Kevin, and Lisa; he came out third in that one, but Lisa was now better off than Laura, and Kevin was about equal. The game continued, and Steve soon went bankrupt; luckily for Laura, he was on her property when it happened. Jack's father was soon perilously close to bankruptcy, and Jack did some quick negotiating; even though he knew he had no chance of winning, Jack's father agreed to the deal because it was the only way anyone had a chance of beating Laura. One by one, the other players were eliminated over the next hour or so until only Jack and Laura were left, very evenly matched. The game quickly got boring for the watchers, and Steve, Lisa and Kevin got up and went to bed. Jack's parents stayed a few minutes longer before heading up to bed as well. "Jack, I'll make up the sleeper sofa for you before I go up," his mother said.  
  
Jack and Laura played for a little while longer. "This could go on for hours," Laura said before too long.  
  
"Days," Jack agreed. They both laughed. Jack scooted his chair a little closer to Laura's. "You want to just call it a draw?" he whispered into her ear, and then kissed her.  
  
When they broke for air forty-seven seconds later, Laura said, "I think we'd better clean up the game board. And go to bed.before we need to go on a late-night 'shopping trip'."  
  
"Yeah," Jack murmured, brushing her lips lightly. They put all of the Monopoly paraphernalia away and got up. "I'll show you my room," Jack said. He led her upstairs to his bedroom.  
  
Laura looked around the room in surprise. "Are you sure you actually lived in this room?"  
  
Jack grinned. "I cleaned out all of my personal stuff before I went to college. Mom and Dad have guests sometimes, and I didn't want them pawing through my stuff."  
  
"I see." They stood there staring at each other for a moment, not wanting to separate. "Well, goodnight," Laura said finally.  
  
"Goodnight." He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her for a moment, then gave her a peck on the cheek before drawing away. She gave him a dazzling smile before closing the door; he turned and headed downstairs.  
  
***  
  
Jack's mother watched the hug from her darkened doorway, then shut her door as Jack went down the stairs. "Are the kids put to bed in separate rooms?" Dale asked as she turned around.  
  
Jeannie smiled. "Yes, Dale," she said. "Although if they'd asked, I would have let them share a room."  
  
Dale frowned for a moment. "He's pretty serious about her, isn't he?"  
  
"This is Jack we're talking about. If it were Kevin, she'd just be the flavor of the week. But Jack."  
  
"He's most likely going to marry her," Dale said, nodding.  
  
"Yes." Jeannie got into bed. "I like her. I think she'll be good for him."  
  
"She already is. I don't think I've ever seen Jack so relaxed."  
  
***  
  
Irina quietly stuck her head in the living room and smiled when she saw that Jack was already up, dressed, and folding the sheets from his bed.. "Morning," she said.  
  
"Good morning," he answered, coming over and giving her a kiss. "Sleep well?"  
  
She shrugged. "It was okay. I was missing my favorite teddy bear, though," she said with a grin.  
  
Jack smiled back. "Is that all I am? A teddy bear?"  
  
Irina made herself look innocent. "Whoever said I was talking about you?" Jack chuckled. "Let me help you with those sheets."  
  
As they folded the sheets, Jack said, "My mother would be scandalized. Neither guests nor males are supposed to do things like fold sheets."  
  
"My parents were the same way," Irina said, telling the truth. Her family was well off enough that her mother didn't have to work, and her mother was glad to stay home. She had not been very happy when Irina announced her intention to join the KGB. "I did notice last night that your mother and Lisa did all the serving and the dishes."  
  
Jack frowned. "Yes. Women are supposed to cook and clean, and men work and fix things. I guess.well, my dad served in World War II, and Mom worked in a factory while she waited for him to come home.I think they kind of were glad to go back to 'traditional' roles after that." Together, they folded the sofa back up and put the cushions in place, then sat down. "I think they know that we feel a little differently.Lisa works, and they seem to be okay with that, and obviously I've been cooking, cleaning, and doing my own laundry for the last few years, but while we're here, we do things their way."  
  
Irina nodded. "I understand perfectly. So I guess I shouldn't tell them I know how to do things like change a tire."  
  
Jack grinned. "It's all right to know how.I'll let you in on a little secret. My mother can fix just about anything-I've seen her change a tire. But she pretends that she doesn't know how to change a light bulb. And my father can actually cook decently, although not as well as my mother, and he knows how to clean and do laundry, too. He just never does it."  
  
Irina grinned. "My mother could handle herself perfectly well, too, but my father would have had no idea what to do with a raw egg or a pile of dirty laundry. She used to tell me that she did 'women's work' because she was the only one in the house that knew how to do it." They folded up the couch and put the cushions on, and then sat down as close together as possible. "I should warn you, I'm not any good at pretending to be helpless."  
  
"Thank God," Jack replied. "The only thing more annoying than a woman who's pretending to be helpless is one who really is helpless."  
  
Irina nodded. "So what are we doing today?"  
  
"Well, we usually have our big dinner on Christmas Eve.Mom and Lisa will be in the kitchen all morning, and Dad will take us out to get a Christmas tree. You can either volunteer to help cook or go along for the tree and get funny looks from my father."  
  
"I think I'll go with the cooking, if you don't think they'll mind."  
  
"You'll probably get stuck doing something boring like peeling potatoes."  
  
Irina smiled and twined her fingers in Jack's hair. "That's not the point." Jack looked confused, and her smile grew wider. "I'm sure your mother and sister have lots of lovely stories to tell about you."  
  
"Hey, no fair. Where am I supposed to get embarrassing stories about you?"  
  
"There aren't any. I was perfect," Irina joked, then kissed him deeply to forestall any more discussion on the subject.  
  
At the sound of a throat clearing behind them, they sprang apart, both turning red. "Good morning, Jack, Laura," Jack's mother said brightly as if nothing had happened. "Did you sleep well?" They nodded, neither one meeting her eyes. "Well, I'll let you two get back to your 'conversation'. Breakfast will be ready in about half an hour."  
  
Although she didn't want to leave Jack, Irina's instructions on this trip were to develop a good relationship with the people who would hopefully be her future in-laws. It wouldn't be hard; they were far nicer people than enemies of her country had any right to be. She stood and faced Jeannie. "Do you need any help?"  
  
"I suppose I could use a hand."  
  
Irina gave Jack's shoulder a quick squeeze, then followed Jeannie into the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
Jack reached over and squeezed Laura's hand under the table as his father carved the turkey that night; he got a squeeze in return. After their conversation this morning, they'd barely seen each other. Jack could only assume that Laura's day in the kitchen had gone well, though, because she seemed much more at ease with his mother and Lisa during supper.  
  
After supper, they played a card game that the Bristows had always called Hand and Foot, using four decks of cards; it was rather complicated and required at least six players. Laura had never played before, but she mastered the rules quickly and ended up coming in third. Jack was second, and his mother, who the family generally acknowledged as the unparalleled master of Hand and Foot, surprised no one by winning the game. The game was very long, though, and when it was over everyone headed to bed.  
  
***  
  
The next morning, the family gathered in the living room to open gifts. As always, Jack's mother had made hand-knitted Fair Isle patterned sweaters for everyone. He hadn't been sure if Laura would get one, but she did; either his mother had made one very quickly or she kept a supply on hand. In addition to the sweaters, each of the three children received several gifts and a nice-sized check. Jack, Lisa, and Kevin had all gone in together to buy their parents a new refrigerator, which would be delivered in a few days; the old one had been in the kitchen since the early fifties.  
  
The gift opening was followed by breakfast, and then Lisa and Steve left to go to Steve's parents' house in Pennsylvania. After they left, Jack suggested to Laura that they go for a drive. He'd been hoping for snow today, but there was none; the world was gray and brown. The ground was frozen and not muddy, though; that was the important thing. He drove to a nearby nature reserve, got out of the car, and led her toward a trail. He could see that she'd been repressing her curiosity since they left, but she finally gave up. "Where are we going, Jack?" she asked, taking his hand and following him into the woods.  
  
"Someplace where we can finally get some privacy," he said with a grin.  
  
"Privacy? I'll say. Who goes hiking in the middle of winter?"  
  
"It's not much of a hike, I promise." He wrapped an arm around her waist, and they walked along the trail in silence for about ten minutes.  
  
"Is that a waterfall?" Laura asked as they drew closer to Jack's goal.  
  
He raised his eyebrows and listened closely. He could hear the waterfall, barely. "You have good ears. I guess the secret's out."  
  
"There's still the question of why we're here. I know it's not just for privacy."  
  
"I'll tell you when we get there." Jack laughed inwardly at the look of frustration that appeared on her face. Laura tended to be very impatient when she couldn't get the information she wanted.  
  
A few minutes later they came out of the trees and into full view of the waterfall. Laura gazed at it for a moment, while Jack watched the slight smile playing at her mouth; then she turned to him and kissed him. "Jack, it's beautiful."  
  
It was, and it was the most romantic place Jack could think of. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Laura, I love you so much. I don't ever want to be without you." He leaned forward and kissed her gently as he found the small box in him pocket, then pulled back and drew a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"  
  
Her eyes widened, and Jack thought he saw tears glimmering for an instant. Then she broke into a huge smile. "Yes, Jack. Yes."  
  
They kissed, and at that moment Jack was the happiest he'd ever been in his life. He opened the box and took out the ring, then lifted her left hand and slid it onto her fourth finger. Thanks to his covert measurement in the middle of the night, it fit perfectly. "I will always love you, Laura," he said softly. "Forever and always."  
  
"Oh, Jack," she whispered, looking at the ring. She looked into his eyes, and he saw the reflection of his own love there. "I love you. Forever. No matter what." He found the last sentence slightly odd, but shrugged it off as she kissed him. As passionate as her kisses had always been, he felt like there was a new dimension to this one, like she was giving him everything and holding nothing back. He responded in kind. Finally they broke and stood just drinking each other in for a moment, both radiating love. Laura broke the spell. "Your parents will be wondering what happened to us."  
  
"Yes." He kissed her again, gently. "They'll want to welcome you into the family." Arms wrapped around each other, they turned and walked slowly back to the car.  
  
4/5 


	5. Part 5

Part 5: Spring Break  
  
Irina hummed to herself as she put the finishing touches on the casserole she was making for dinner and slid it into the oven, then headed to the couch and opened The Great Gatsby. She had finished her assigned readings for the day, but examples from this book had been used in class discussion a few days ago, and she'd never read it before. That happened quite frequently; she'd probably read two dozen books over and above her class requirements since she'd started classes. Between classes, assignments and extra reading, Jack, and the occasional meetings with her handler, her schedule was quite full. She was surprised to find herself enjoying it, though; she'd always loved to read, but had never expected literary discussions and research to be quite so stimulating.  
  
The phone rang, and she hesitated just a moment before answering. Today was Monday, March 1, and she'd just moved in with Jack on Saturday; the lease on her apartment had run out yesterday. If the person on the line was calling for Jack, they might be surprised when she answered. She shrugged and picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Is that Laura?" said a female voice. "This is Jack's mother."  
  
"Oh, hello, Mrs. Bristow." Irina was briefly worried about what her future mother-in-law would think, but decided to just act casual.  
  
"I told you, dear, call me Jeannie. Is Jack there?"  
  
"No, he's at work. He'll be back in about an hour. I can give him a message for you."  
  
"Actually, Laura, I wanted to talk to you." There was silence for a moment, and then Mrs. Bristow chuckled. "Did Jack forget to mention that he told me you were moving in?"  
  
"Yes, he did." Irina was rather confused; she'd asked Jack last week if he was going to tell his parents about the change, and Jack had said with a grin that they'd find out when they found out.  
  
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about wedding plans, so I called Jack on Friday night and asked him for your number," Mrs. Bristow said. Irina could hear the smile in her voice. "He got very quiet, and I asked him if it wasn't perhaps the same as his number, and he told me you were moving in." She chuckled again. "I'm not in the least upset, just so you know. I would never have considered it back in my day, but times are different now."  
  
"We just thought it made more sense to share expenses," Irina said, glad that her future mother-in-law wasn't upset. "What did you want to talk about?" She and Jack had talked a lot about "when they were married", but they'd barely mentioned the actual wedding, and Irina was rather nervous about it. Weddings here were very different than in Russia. She had no idea what to do, no idea who to invite.she suspected she'd have to have the KGB come up with some "old friends" for her to invite, and probably a few distant relatives as well, which would mean a lot of additional work for her learning her supposed histories with these people.  
  
"Have you two set a date yet?" Jack's mother asked, startling Irina back to reality.  
  
"No, but probably this summer sometime," Irina answered.  
  
"Where were you planning on getting married, there in New Haven? A church ceremony or a civil one?"  
  
Oh, God. "We really haven't talked much about it."  
  
"You've been engaged for three months. I'm surprised you have anything else to talk about. I remember when I was planning my wedding." Irina listened as Jack's mother went into a long monologue about her own wedding. It had apparently been a big affair in a church, with a cast of thousands and months of planning, which meant that everything Mrs. Bristow talked about was completely irrelevant to Irina's situation. Irina made agreeable noises in all the right places, and finally Mrs. Bristow wound down. "In any case, Laura, you just call me if you need anything at all, all right? I feel so bad that you don't have your own mother to help you with this."  
  
Irina was surprised to find herself wishing that her mother could be there for the wedding. [I]You're not really getting married, Irina, it's just an assignment,[/I] she told herself sternly. "Thank you, Jeannie," she said into the phone. "I'll let you know when we have more definite plans."  
  
"All right, dear. Tell Jack I said hello. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye." She hung up the phone with a sigh of relief.  
  
***  
  
Jack entered his apartment--their apartment, he reminded himself with a smile--and sniffed the air. "Something smells wonderful," he said to Laura as she put her book down and got up from the couch.  
  
She came over and kissed him, at the same time loosening his tie. "It's ready, if you're hungry."  
  
"I'm famished," he said. She smiled and went into the kitchen to dish up two plates while he went into the second bedroom that now held both their desks to put his briefcase down. He went back out and gave Laura a big smile as they sat down.  
  
"Must have been a good day," she said with a grin, taking his hand under the table.  
  
"I was just thinking how nice it's going to be to come home to you every night for the rest of my life."  
  
He thought he saw a look of sadness flit over her face, but then she smiled. "Not every night, Jack. I have evening classes on Wednesdays." He laughed at that. "Your mother called today," Laura said as he began to eat.  
  
"Oh.I'm sorry, Laura, I meant to warn you that she was going to call. What did she want?"  
  
"Wedding details," Laura said. "When, where, that kind of thing."  
  
"We probably should decide that pretty soon, shouldn't we?"  
  
"Yes, we should." She frowned and turned to her food.  
  
"What do you want to do, Laura? I don't really care." He smiled and rubbed her hand. "All I want is for you to be my wife."  
  
She smiled and leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I don't really care, either, but we've got to do something."  
  
"So you're not one of those women who spent your childhood dreaming about a big, fancy wedding?"  
  
"No, I don't think I ever really thought about it. To be honest, Jack, I don't even know where to start."  
  
He smiled at her reassuringly. He'd had a feeling that she wasn't very enthusiastic about a big wedding, and he was glad to have confirmation, since he had an idea that might work better. "Tell you what, we'll find a time to sit down with a calendar and one of those wedding planning guides and figure everything out."  
  
"Okay. This weekend?"  
  
He shook his head with a frown. "I just found out today that I have to go on a trip this weekend."  
  
"Oh.where to? Or are you not allowed to tell me?"  
  
"West Berlin," he answered. "We're trying to stop some arms merchants from smuggling weapons into East Germany."  
  
She frowned. "Sounds dangerous."  
  
He put his arm around her shoulders. "Not any more than usual. I promise I'll be careful."  
  
She kissed him gently. "You'd better. I don't want to lose you."  
  
***  
  
Irina left the library on Friday afternoon, her backpack heavy with books. Jack had left for the airport this morning, so she had picked up half a dozen books to pass the otherwise boring weekend. She smiled a bit as she stepped out into the sunshine; they were finally starting to have a few spring-like days, and today was one of them, so she had walked the three quarters of a mile from their apartment today instead of driving.  
  
As she left campus, Alexander Khasinau fell into step slightly behind her. She glanced at him briefly, then returned her eyes to the front. "How are the wedding plans going?" he asked in a voice pitched just loudly enough for her to hear. "You didn't sound very enthusiastic on the phone with Mrs. Bristow the other night."  
  
"I'm taking my cues from Jack. He's not in a hurry," Irina answered, glad that Khasinau had directed her to remove the bugs from Jack's apartment when she moved in. His phone line and car were still bugged, but now that she lived there the KGB didn't want to waste manpower listening to what she was going to hear herself.  
  
"So he's Jack now, is he?" Khasinau asked in an apparently disinterested tone.  
  
Irina scolded herself. She'd been very careful over the last few months to only refer to him as "Agent Bristow" or "the target" when she spoke with Khasinau. "He'd think it was rather strange if I started calling him Agent Bristow, don't you think?"  
  
"Hmm. He left on a trip this morning. What do you know about it?"  
  
"West Germany. Trying to stop weapons smugglers headed to East Germany."  
  
"Good work. Now act more like a blushing bride-to-be and get that wedding planned, Irina."  
  
Irina could think of several stinging retorts, but voiced none of them. "Yes, sir," she said instead. Khasinau turned at the next corner while she continued going straight.  
  
Her handler had been very pleased with her when she'd returned from the Christmas trip with an engagement ring, and he'd been even happier when she'd told him several weeks ago that she was moving in with Jack. It wasn't enough, though; the KGB wanted Jack bound to her in marriage, believing that he'd trust her as his wife more than he would as his live-in fiancée. She agreed with their assessment, but she also knew that she was providing a great deal of good intelligence already, more than they had expected six months into her assignment. She would take this at her own pace, no matter what Khasinau said.  
  
***  
  
Irina put her suitcase down on the bed, then went out to the hotel room's balcony. She had a clear view of the ocean, only a few minutes' walk from the hotel.  
  
Jack came out behind her, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her neck. "What do you think?"  
  
"It's beautiful, Jack." He'd surprised her two weeks ago with plans for a trip to Acapulco over spring break; he'd cooked up the idea with Arvin Sloane, who had brought his girlfriend Emily. They'd actually cheated a bit; it was currently Thursday morning, and Jack and Irina were both skipping out on Thursday and Friday classes.  
  
"Well well well, look who's here," said a familiar male voice to their right. Irina looked over to see Arvin and Emily on the next balcony.  
  
"Arvin, it's been such a long time!" Jack responded playfully. "What, five minutes since the hotel lobby?"  
  
"Yes, a long time," Arvin agreed. "You and I really need to spend some time with each other on this trip, Jack. We hardly ever see each other outside of work."  
  
Emily grinned mischievously. "And here I thought you wanted to spend time with me, Arvin. Oh, well. Come on, Laura, let's go have some fun and let the boys bond."  
  
Both women started to go inside, only to be pulled back by their respective boyfriends. "Oh no you don't," Jack said, kissing Irina shamelessly. Irina was vaguely aware of Emily and Arvin laughing softly and going into their room as she responded to Jack's kiss. "Happy birthday, darling," Jack whispered as he pulled her into their own room.  
  
Jack's birthday had been Tuesday, while Irina's was coming up on Monday. "Not yet, Jack. But happy birthday to you," she said. "Shall we try out the bed?"  
  
***  
  
"This is lovely, Jack. Thank you so much for planning this," Irina said that night at dinner. They had had lunch with Arvin and Emily, but were at separate restaurants for dinner; all four of them wanted to strike a balance between spending time as a foursome and as couples.  
  
"Arvin and I thought that all of us could use a break from work and school," Jack said with a smile.  
  
"So who was the first to come up with the idea?"  
  
"Arvin thought up the trip." Jack's expression grew more serious. "I did have another idea for this trip, though."  
  
"What's that?" Irina asked. She'd suspected that Jack was keeping something secret; she felt a thrill of anticipation at finding out what it was.  
  
"Well, you don't seem too excited about the whole wedding-planning thing, and I'm not either. They, um.well, only if you want to.they do weddings here." She broke into a huge smile. "On the beach, even."  
  
"God, Jack, that's a great idea." She put her arms around him and kissed him. "Let's do it tomorrow."  
  
"Tomorrow? I wasn't even sure you'd like the idea!"  
  
"I love it, Jack, it's perfect. And tomorrow is the 19th; we can just combine our birthdays and anniversary and have one big party."  
  
"But don't you need to get a dress? Flowers?"  
  
"We could do it at sunset tomorrow. I can go shopping during the day. Besides, it doesn't have to be a white dress, does it? It's not like I'm a virgin."  
  
Jack laughed. "Whatever you want, Laura. But I don't think I can go all day without seeing you."  
  
Irina had to think for a moment before remembering the tradition that the bride and groom weren't supposed to see each other on their wedding day. "Silly tradition," she said. "Goes back to arranged marriages, you know, when the bride and groom didn't even meet until the wedding." And isn't this an arranged marriage? suddenly flew through her mind.  
  
Jack kissed her deeply, putting a stop to her thoughts. "I love you so much, Laura."  
  
"I love you, Jack," she replied, making sure, as always, to tell herself that it wasn't true.  
  
***  
  
Twenty-four hours later, Jack and Irina faced each other on the beach, with Arvin, Emily, and a minister. All were dressed formally, but barefoot. Irina had gone shopping today with Emily and had found a simple but elegant sleeveless white gown; Jack must have told Arvin and Emily about his plans in advance, because Jack and Arvin were in tuxedos and Emily was wearing a light blue gown.  
  
The weather was cooperating; the day had been cloudless. They waited for the perfect moment, when the sun first touched the Pacific and spread its golden rays over the water and the sky was filled with pink and orange.  
  
Irina thought briefly of her homeland, facing the other side of that same ocean, but then the minister began to speak. "We are gathered here today to unite this man, Jonathan Bristow, and this woman, Laura Jameson, in the bonds of holy matrimony. If anyone present can show just cause why these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." He paused for the briefest of moments. "Jonathan Bristow, do you take this woman as your lawful wedded wife, to live together in the estate of holy matrimony? Will you love her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, and be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"  
  
His gaze never wavering from Irina's eyes, Jack said, "I will."  
  
"Laura Jameson, do you take this man as your lawful wedded husband, to live together in the estate of holy matrimony? Will you love him, honor him, and keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, and be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"  
  
Irina looked deep into Jack's eyes. A dam broke somewhere inside her, and she realized that she had been speaking the truth all along. Impossibly, amazingly, she did love him. She should stop this now, she knew, run away and call for extraction. Her objectivity had been compromised beyond repair. But then, she reasoned, it had in fact been compromised months ago, though she hadn't admitted it to herself, and she had continued to do her job and do it well. Being in love with Jack didn't preclude her stealing from his country to further the agenda of her own nation. She could have the best of both worlds.for a while. One day she would have to leave, of course, but she didn't have to deal with that now. She squeezed Jack's hand and smiled, her decision made. "I will."  
  
5/5  
  
finis 


End file.
